The EFQC Enquirer: 13 October 2025

In this edition

Important Information

• Attention NDIS Providers: New Video Explains Safety and Competency Under the Code of Conduct
• Have Your Say: Help Shape the Future of NDIS Practice Standards
• New Support Needs Assessment Tool Launching Mid-2026
• Launch: The Right Direction Toolkit for Behaviour Support Practitioners

Ask the Experts

• Ask the Experts: Avoiding Admin Overwhelm as Your NDIS Business Grows, Nerin Chappell from Positively Sorted

Important Information

1. Attention NDIS Providers: New Video Explains Safety and Competency Under the Code of Conduct

The NDIS Commission has released four new educational videos to help providers and workers fully understand their obligations under the NDIS Code of Conduct. One key video covers Safety and Competency, a critical element that ensures supports and services are delivered safely, competently, and with care.

As providers, it is essential to ensure your workers have the right training, skills, and qualifications to provide high-quality supports that align with the NDIS values. The risk of harm to participants increases when person-centred approaches are absent or workers lack competence.

This video uses a real-world scenario to clearly demonstrate what safety and competency mean in practice and why meeting your obligations under this element of the Code is not just important—but mandatory.
Watching and sharing this video with your team is a vital step toward fostering a culture of safety and professional competence within your organisation.

Protect participants. Meet your obligations. Lead with confidence.

Watch the video and learn more here.

2. Have Your Say: Help Shape the Future of NDIS Practice Standards

The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission is undertaking a major review of the NDIS Practice Standards, responding to key recommendations from the Disability Royal Commission, the NDIS Review, and its own inquiries.

KPMG is leading a national consultation throughout October and November 2025 to gather input on revising the standards, introducing a new Quality Framework, and updating guidance materials to better support quality and safe services.

NDIS providers must act now to have their say:
Register for online or in-person consultation sessions
Complete the survey launching 20 October on the NDIS Commission website
Submit feedback in writing, audio, video, or creative formats
Your input will directly influence how the standards shape everyday practice and quality outcomes.

At the same time, a new Supported Independent Living (SIL) Practice Standard is being developed to strengthen safety and quality in shared accommodation settings, with participant voices at its core.
This is a pivotal moment for providers to influence the rules that govern service delivery. Don’t miss your chance to be heard.

Register today and make sure your voice counts. Visit the NDIS Commission’s consultation page.

3.  New Support Needs Assessment Tool Launching Mid-2026

The NDIS is introducing a new support needs assessment tool called I-CAN (Instrument for Classification and Assessment of Support Needs, version 6) for participants aged 16 and over.

Developed in partnership with the University of Melbourne and the Centre for Disability Studies, I-CAN will assess support needs across 12 core domains. NDIA assessors will use the tool to measure both the frequency and intensity of required supports.

The assessment outcome will form the basis of a new framework plan, replacing the previous dependency on external professional reports for funding decisions. More targeted support assessments will be available for participants with complex disabilities.

The rollout of the tool is scheduled for mid-2026. Providers should prepare for changes in planning and funding processes as this new method becomes standard.

Further details are available on the NDIS website.

4. Launch: The Right Direction Toolkit for Behaviour Support Practitioners

Did you know some NDIS participants with behaviour support plans haven’t had a say in developing their own plan? Without authentic involvement of participants and their families, plans can fall flat — or worse, lead to rights violations, neglect, and harm. Plus input by participants is a mandatory requirement of the NDIS Practice Standards.

Enter The Right Direction — a free, practical toolkit designed to help behaviour support practitioners genuinely engage with participants throughout the planning journey. Funded by the NDIS Commission’s Grants Program, this resource champions a core NDIS principle: nothing about us without us.

Developed by leading researchers from the University of Melbourne and University of Queensland, in partnership with providers, practitioners, and people with disability, The Right Direction offers customizable tools and clear guidance to strengthen collaboration and respect participant choice.

Use it to:

• Build authentic partnerships with participants and families
• Enhance communication across all stages of behaviour support planning
• Meet NDIS requirements with confidence
• Support participant human rights every step of the way

The NDIS Commission also offers handy resources on discussing restrictive practices with participants, complementing the toolkit.

NDIS providers: Equip your teams with The Right Direction to help deliver behaviour support plans that truly respect and empower participants.

Explore the toolkit and resources: The Right Direction Website

If you need any help with staff training or want expert guidance on behaviour support and restrictive practices, the team at Engels Floyd Quality Consulting is here to support you.

Feel free to reach out anytime at info@engelsfloyd.com or call 1300 790 194. We would love to hear from you and help your team stay confident, compliant, and competent!

Ask the Experts

Ask the Experts: Avoiding Admin Overwhelm as Your NDIS Business Grows, Nerin Chappell from Positively Sorted

We recently spoke with Nerin Chappell from Positively Sorted about one of the biggest growing pains for NDIS providers: keeping on top of admin and billing. Here’s her take.

Q: Why do admin and billing become such a challenge for growing NDIS providers?

Nerin: In the early days, it’s common for the business owner or one superstar admin to handle everything — onboarding, service agreements, scheduling, even billing. But as client numbers grow, it becomes impossible for one person to juggle it all. That’s when we start seeing errors, unpaid invoices piling up, and bottlenecks that affect the whole business.

Q: What’s the risk of leaving things as they are?

Nerin: The biggest risk is cash flow. If billing gets delayed or claims are submitted incorrectly, providers can be waiting on large sums for weeks or months. I’ve worked with providers who had over $100K in unpaid invoices simply because their processes weren’t set up properly. It’s stressful, and it can put the whole organisation under pressure.

Q: So, what’s the solution?

Nerin: The game-changer is splitting the roles. Have your front-end admin team focus on intake, service agreements, and record keeping, while your back-end billing team focuses solely on claims, payments, and reconciliations. That way, each role is done with full attention and accuracy.

Q: What benefits do providers see when they make this change?

Nerin:
Fewer errors because each team member is focused on their area.
Faster payments thanks to consistent weekly billing runs.
Clear workflows so there’s no confusion over “who’s doing what.”

One provider I worked with went from “invoice chaos” to steady cash flow within weeks once they split their admin and billing roles.
Q: What practical steps can providers take to get started?

Nerin:
Review your current setup — if you’re close to breaking point, it’s time to act.
Set clear role boundaries between admin and billing.
Put consistent processes in place, like a weekly billing day.
Train and support your people (or consider outsourcing specialist help).
Keep reviewing and adjusting as your business grows.
Q: What’s your one piece of advice for providers feeling overwhelmed right now?

Nerin: Don’t wait until you’re buried in backlogs. Putting the right structure in place early saves so much time, money, and stress. Your future self (and your cash flow) will thank you.

Nerin is available at nerin@positivelysorted.com.au to answer any further questions you may have. Positively Sorted helps NDIS Providers to break through administrative bottlenecks and improve cashflow by offering consulting, training or Australian VA’s, using their proven NDIS intake and billing processes – so you can focus on growing your team and providing quality supports for participants.